Wheeled toys



IN V EN TOR. 67/567672 8. #4065 BY MMIW States L ijnite WHEELED TOYS Chester B. Hauge, 5018 N. 42nd, Tacoma, Wash. Filed May 27, 1957, Ser. No. 661,653

1 Claim. (Cl. 46-244) tent hicular toys. Most of these are battery operated, with the batteries either located in the toy vehicle itself or in a remote hand-held control unit comprising electrical switch means connected to the toy through flexible insulated wires which do not encumber the toys movement and permit the operator to remain in one position while the toy executes movement over a fairlylarge area. The present invention represents a novel improvement on such toys with respect to certain objectivesas hereinafter set forth.

An object of this invention is a novel and amusing toy of the described type.

Another object is an educational toy containing certain features which convey to a child important mechanical principles including certain principles of motion, balance and control.

A further object is a simple and inexpensive toy of the remotely controlled, electrically driven type adapted for starting and stopping, and turning under control of the operator, such toy being adapted for design in a variety of forms to depict different vehicles, animals or such other figures as may be desired.

In achieving these and related objectives the invention features a two-wheeled vehicle the body of which is pendulously suspended from the wheels with the weight distribution such that the body assumes a stable attitude with the vehicle stationary whereas acceleration and deceleration produce interesting and amusing effects in terms of tilting of the body to and fro about the wheel axis While the same always returns to its normal position under steady state conditions.

A further feature resides in the remotely controlled means including flexible elongated members for controlling both the energization and deenergization of the motive power means and also the steering of the toy.

Specifically, the steering operation is accomplished by clutch means controlled by a spring-returned bellows or the like through a flexible air tube from an air bulb forming part of the remote control unit.

These and other features, objects and advantages of the invention will become more fully evident from the following detailed description thereof by reference to the accompanying drawings. I

Figure'l is a plan view of the novel toy and control unit connected therewith, with certain outward portions of the toy body being shown in broken lines and with certain portions of the structure broken away to show interior details.

Figure 2 is an end view of the improved toy with portions of the body shown in broken lines and with sections of the structure broken away to reveal details.

Figure 3 is a side view of the toy.

Figure 4 is a side view of a modification.

Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the novel toy comprises a body 10 which includes a base or frame 12 which for convenience is in the form of a sheet metal channel having flanges or sides 12a and a web 12b extending between the lower edges of the sides. A single wheel axle 14 is rotatively mounted in journals 16 in the channel sides 12a at a location materially above the web 12b. One wheel, 18, is fixed on one end of the axle 14 to rotate with the axle. The other wheel 20 has a sliding rotationally free fit with the opposite end of the axle, In this illustrated embodiment the toy body is in the form of a humorously designed automobile-type Vehicle preferably comprising a light weight plastic, sheet metal, cardboard, paper mache or other suitable material shell which is suitably attached to the frame channel 12 with its center of gravity located approximately in the vertical plane containing the axle 14. If desired the shell may be readily removable and replaceable by shells of other design such as that in Figure 4. v A reversible battery driven electric motor 22 is mounted on the channel Web 12b and through a gear train unit 24 also mounted on the web is drivingly connected to the axle 14 as shown. An elongated flexible cable 26 having wires connected to the motor terminals 28 and 30 extends to a remotely situated hand-held control unit 32 including a power pack of batteries 34 and selectively actuatable electric switches 36 and 38, one of which is connected for applying battery voltage of one polarity to the motor and the other of which is connected for applying such voltage of opposite polarity to the motor in order to control direction of movement of the toy.

For steering purposes the freely rotatable wheel 20 is provided with clutch means generally designated 40. Such clutch means includes a toothed disk 42 fixedly mounted on the end of the axle 14 which projects through and beyond the wheel 24}, and a complementally formed toothed face, 46 on the adjacent side of the wheel, the teeth of which are normally engaged with the teeth of the disk 42 in order to drivingly connect the axle 14 to the wheel 20. The wheel has a flanged sleeve 44 projecting from its inside face, surrounding the axle 14. A helical spring 48 surrounding the axle and interposed between the flanged end of the sleeve 44 and the adjacent channel web 12a is preloaded in order to press the wheel towards the clutch plate 42 in order to maintain the clutch members normally engaged. In order to disengage the clutch members, a rod, in the form of a formed stiff wire 56, interconnects the sleeve 44 and an actuating lever 52 of channel form having a slot 52a therein which accommodates the axle 14. The wire or rod 50 has two legs which extend slidably through apertures in the adjacent channel flange 12a between the sleeve 44 and the opposite sides of the channel-shaped actuating lever 52, as shown best in Figures 2 and 3. The lever 52 is pivoted at 54 on a vertical axis, so that its slotted end may move toward and from the wheel 25 in order to permit or cause longitudinal shifting of the Wheel 20 along the axle 14.

An inflatable bag or bellows element 56 is mounted between the inside face of the channel side 12a and the adjacent face of the actuating lever 52. This bag or bel-. lows device is suitably secured to one of these elements or both of them, as by means of rubber cement or other adhesive. Preferably the element is-formed of rubber or rubber-like material although it may be formed of plastic or other suitable flexible air-tight material. elongated flexible air tube 58' interconnects the bellows element 56 and a squeeze bulb 60 mounted on the handheld remotecontrol .unit 32. When the squeeze bulb 60 is compressed air is transmitted through the tube 58 to the bellows element 56, thereby. actuating the lever 7 52 in the direction away fromthe adjacentchannel side 12a and, against increasing compression of spring '48, drawing the Wheel 20 along-theaxle 141mm the. clutch elements 46 and 42 are disengaged. ;Under these conditions the application of drive torque to the Wheel 13 causes the vehicle to move forward oriiearward, depending upon which of the. switches has been actuated, turning about the now idle wheel 20Tas a fulcrum. .When the squeeze bulb 60 is released, "recoil force .of spring 48 forces the wheel 20 back to' itsnormal position in which the clutch elements re-engage, expelling air from the bag 56 back into the. squeeze bulb 60; The 'pneudoes not appreciably encumber movements of the toy yet permits controlling both forward and rearwardtravel as well as steering thereof.

, .One of the important features of the invention is the I pendulous mounting of the ,body structure on the two wheels 18 and 20. The platform or channel web 12b carrying the principal components ofthe toy is pendto cause the body structure to assume a given attitude in 4 sion is given of an erratic and impulsive driver Whereas in the case of an animal depicted as in Figure 4, for instance, the impression is given of a frightened or surprised animal (or bird) in response to operation of the controls. In order to cause the vehicle to turn to the right in Figure l it is merely necessary to press the squeeze bulbfili, whereupon the wheel 20 becomes idle and the wheel 18 aloneis driven forwardly. Vfhen the vehicle is being operated-in the'rearwarddirection, pressure on the squeeze bulb 60 canses'the vehicle of course to turntoward the right. In order to make a left turn a certain amount of maneuvering is required in the illustrated case of a single clutchelement associated with but one wheel. 7 This maybe iaiccomplished by stopping the vehicle in its forward travel, if'it is moving forwardly, pressing the squeeze bulb '60 and energizing the motor 22 to drive the vehicle in reverse sufiiciently to head the vehicle in the desired new direction. Thereupon squeeze bulb 60 is released and the motor is energized'forforward travel with both wheels driven. Alternatively, the new direction may be assumed by operation of the squeeze bulb 60 and causing the vehicle to be drivenforwardly to execute a right turn of something less than 360 degrees until the new heading is reached whereupon the squeeze bulb is released and the vehicle takes ofl in the new direction. Such maneuvering requirementsare of educational value to the child and also require the development of a certain amount of skill and coordination. If desired, of course, separate clutches may be provided for each of the two wheels, and separate squeeze bulbs mounted on the power unit. a

I claim as my invention: p t

A power-motivated wheeled toy comprising a toy body, a pair of wheels mounted on said toy body to 'turn on a common axis to. support the body for translational movement, motive, power means -mounted on relation tothesupporting surface on which the vehicle travels, a counterweight 62 of a heavy metal ismounted on the channel web 12b. This Weight is provided with a lslot'64. A mounting serew extending through the :slot is threaded into or secured in the web 1212. The slot the other weight factors making up the mass of the body structure including the drive means and. the clutch elements thereon. 'In the'case of the illustrated automobile representation the mass 62 is normally adjusted to a position in'whioh the body of the vehicle assumes the expected horizontal attitude.

In Figure 4 theremote controlunit 68 comprising the power pack, the switches 36 and 38', the squeeze bulb and a suitable package is connected through an elongated flexible member 70, including an .air tube and suitable electric wires to the toy proper 72. In this instance the toy body has a shell or outward, form of a duck. Obviously other animal forms or vehicle forms may be used and these may be interchangeable if desired.

One of the interesting and amusing aspects of the toy is the efiFe'ct of acceleration and deceleration thereon when the switches 36 and 38 are actuated, or when the squeeze bulb 60 is pressed in order to causeturning move ment. Being mounted on but two wheels in a pendulous fashion the eifects of deceleration and acceleration are very pronounced in terms of swaying of the toy body forward or aft. In the case of a toy vehicle the impressaid body, said motive power means being reversible, means drivingly connecting said motive'power means to said wheels to rotate the same relative to said body, said body comprising a framestructure pendulously suspended from said wheels, with the center of gra'vity of said 'pendulously ;suspended body and means carried thereby lying-below-the axis, remotely controlledmeans includinga flexible connecting memberextending .to the motive power means and adapted forcontrollingrenergization and deenergization thereof at willg and remotely controlled steering means including a fiexibleconnecting member coextensive, with the firstqflexible'connecting member and connected to at least one ofthe wheels and adapted .for controlling steering of thevehicle at will, said first remotely controlled means being adapted for controlling reversal as Well asener'gization and deenergization'of saidmotive power means, and the .remotely controlled steering means comprising clutch means adapted for interrupting the drivingfconnection to one of the wheels, thefiexible connecting memher'of said remotely controlled steering means comprising an air tube, and such' steering means including an air bulb connected to one end of such tube and'aspring returned bellows meansto the other end, operating the clutch means.

References Cited-in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Italy Jan. 3,1954 

